Let me start by saying I don't think gullibility is really the word I seek, but I can't think of the right one - if you do after reading this, please feel free to suggest it.
It strikes me, after reading threads like JK's numbskull plays Augusta and Shivas's revelations upon playing on a really firm course, that most people play the shot they feel is "required", regardless of their ability to actually play the shot in question. This goes along with the "I didn't come here to lay up" philosophy.
Then you have the countless folks who go for driveable par 4s and reachable par 5s.
And the guys who think no pin is off limits with a wedge in your hands.
The list goes on and on. I think it's one of the big reasons the so-called Luddites are against the ever expanding sources of information out there.
Do architects consciously prey on our gullibility? Do certain architects succeed at this while others don't? Do some architects completely abandon the concept in favor of "it's all there right in front of you? Is this a reason why some hate the new rough at ANGC while others like it's penal (yet path-showing) features?
Please share your thoughts and experiences.
And find me a better word, while you're at it.